Responding to an enlightened view of "disability," contemporary social attitudes recognize, and recently enacted civil rights legislation requires, that many heretofore inaccessible by wheelchair places of business, recreation and residence be made accessible to persons using wheelchairs.
The prior art apparatus includes ramps, lifts, elevators and the like; all of which are expensive, and may require structural deviations from historically appropriate architectural preferences. These devices provide "barrier free" accessibility for singly independent wheelchair bound persons and are most appropriate for new construction and significant renovation of existing structures.
In many applications, wheelchair access is not required 100% of the time; or the scale of a facility or residence does not, or resources available do not, warrant extensive renovation or expense.
It is an object of this invention to provide a retrofittable accessibility system that is easily installed on site, inexpensive, can be retracted when not in use and is conveniently adapted to existing architecture and decor.
It is a further object to provide in an alternative embodiment an accessibility means that is conveniently portable and optimally adapted for use, for example, on social occasions when a wheelchair bound person visits a friend or a residence at a location that has a wheelchair access barrier, such as stairs; and as an extension of that alternative, to provide an inexpensive access means that the friend or residence can provide upon the spontaneous visit of a wheelchair bound person.
The availability of the device of this application should not be regarded as an excuse in new construction to not utilize state of the art "barrier free" design techniques. The availability of the present apparatus should, however, eliminate any possibility for an excuse that wheelchair access should not, as a retrofit or in a prospective design, be installed for reasons of expense, aesthetics or impracticability.
Nevertheless, the design of the application is not a universal solution. The present device may not in most instances permit fully independent access. In many instances, assistance will be required to help the person using a wheelchair, while in the chair, over or across the barrier at which the accessibility means is installed. The need for assistance will typically not be a problem because the accessibility means will normally be used at locations where assistance is already available, such as in restaurants where there are waiters or a maitre d'; or in doctors', dentists' or attorneys' or other professional offices which are attended by receptionists; apartment buildings attended by doormen; swimming pools attended by a life guard; or in small businesses where other persons are present. On social occasions at private residences, obviously other people will be present and available.
The degree of skill and strength required for the assisted use of the access means over a barrier is less than that required in the transit of the wheelchair and its occupant over the same barrier without the use of the access means.
The object of the invention is to provide a cost effective, convenient access means that overcomes physical barriers for wheelchair users. The device is retrofittable to old, barrier containing construction, is economically suited for premises that are infrequently visited by wheelchair users, and is a facilitator which will make the concept of wheelchair access more easily accepted and more easily achieved in a reasonable manner.
The invention will be more readily understood with reference to the following description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings in which: